UNH vigil for marathon victims draws more than 1,000 students

Wednesday

Apr 17, 2013 at 3:15 AMApr 17, 2013 at 11:34 AM

By Michelle Kingstonmkingston@fosters.com

DURHAM — More than 1,000 University of New Hampshire students gathered around a half-staff flag of red, white and blue for a candle light vigil for those killed and injured in Monday's bombings at the 117th Boston Marathon.

“Keep the victims of yesterday in your hearts, but the things you can do to make this world a better place in your minds,” Peter Wilkinson, a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire, said to the crowd circled around the flag at Thompson Hall lawn. Wilkinson organized the vigil with two other students just 22 hours before it took place.

He said he and Tianna Vestri, a freshman at the university, and Greg Gottlieb, a sophomore, created a Facebook page to generate interest in holding a vigil for the victims, but also to celebrate life. Within hours, hundreds of students joined the page and said they would be attending.

A university vocal group sang the national anthem before Wilkinson, Vestri and Gottlieb spoke, standing beneath the U.S. flag.

They said that the community came together to establish the University of New Hampshire years ago to allow the students to be there today, together. They said on Sept. 11, 2001, although children were left to grow up without parents when thousands of American lives were lost, the United States came together.

On Tuesday night, the University showed its support for the victims in Boston by coming together.

Vestri said they are not just players on sports teams and members of organizations, but that the students “are members of our global community.”

Shaemus Standish, a Phi Beta Gamma fraternity brother, said they canceled their chapter meeting Tuesday night to attend the vigil.

“It's important for us to be here, to represent our community and show our respects,” he said moments before the students bowed their heads for a two-minute moment of silence.

Standish was at the marathon on Monday, leaving just 20 minutes before the two bombs went off near the finish line.

“It was hard to see the shape Boston was in,” he said. “It was a similar feeling to 9/11, but a different city. How could something like this happen in Boston?”

Standish was not the only student at the vigil who was at the marathon.

Colleen Shields and Morgan Farley, two sophomores at the university, were volunteering at the race with a half dozen other students. They were just a block away from where the bombs exploded.

“It was scary,” Shields said. “But, at the same time, we did not know what was going on, so it is hard to say what we felt.”

Farley said not knowing what was going on might have had to do with the adrenaline that kicked in when they realized the sounds they heard were not fireworks, but an act of terror.

“It was almost like a blur,” she said.

Colleen Kelley was not at the marathon, but had several friends there. She said she came to the vigil Tuesday night to support her community and the Boston community.

“I just can't believe how many people are here,” she said, while carrying a large American flag.

Bobby Keogh, a freshman from North Redding, Mass., draped an American flag around his shoulders, his Boston Bruins uniform underneath peeping through.

“This was nice,” he said looking at the large array of lit candles that students placed around the flag after the moment of silence.

While waiting to place her candle down, Melissa Edmonds, sophomore at the university, said it was great to see the community come together.

“I'm proud to be here and see how much everybody cares about others,” she said.

While friends hugged one another and took photos on their phones of the event, the beginning of chants could be heard across the lawn.

“USA! USA! USA!” students said in unison, clapping their hands and watching as Red Sox flags and American flags people were holding swayed through the crowd.

“Hours ago this was just an idea and you can see the University of New Hampshire students just rallied together tonight,” Wilkinson said. “Tonight's a really special event. We unite as one.”